Have a fun Spotlight for you, enjoy everyone! Thank you Darren I loved reading your responses!



19Shmoo69 (Darren)- The Magnificent Man Behind Mission Slimpossibles Motivator Position


What made you decide to improve your health and join MFP? When I started this “journey” I weighed over 312. I say it that way because I stopped getting weighed when the scale said 312. One day after church a gentleman, who had just had a heart scare, came and said “the Holy Spirit told me you have a weight problem”. My first thought was the Holy Spirit did not tell you that, your eyesight did. I mean think about it, i wore a 3xl t-shirt and made it look like it was spandex. Well anyways, we agreed to be accountable to each other. That fell through quickly but I did not stop.

What makes improving your health worth doing? The stereotypical answer is being able to live a longer life. I could not grasp that concept until I became a Sofu to a handsome little Mago. Another bonus is not getting sick as often as I used to. I was one of those kids that got sick with every season change. That has changed and I praise God for that.

What have you tried in the past that hasn't worked? There are a couple things that have not worked for me. Fasting because it always led to binging and going vegetarian. While i wasn’t a meat and potato guy, i was a limited fruit and veggies guy. A place I used to work for had a health fair and the results made the nurse give me a list of fruits and vegetables. I went home and read them to my wife and son. They each liked about 50 or so items while I only liked 17. Most of those were the same, just different, red grape and green grape. Vegetables would make me hungry more often. Which led to me overeating and then binging.

What have you tried that has worked? As far as food, the carnivore diet works best for me. It can get boring but I feel fuller longer and the little aches and pains are not there. Is it too early to talk about activity? Running works for me. I say running. To me it is running others may call it walking but they are not in my running shoes. What form of exercise do you enjoy? Walking and /or running. It probably stems from my childhood. Walking was my form of transportation. Even after I got married I would walk at times to pay the bills. If i am only walking i can walk “forever” but if running is involved then there are limitations.

What goals did you achieve this past year? This is where the negativity may seem to come out. I am not a goal oriented person. I do not go looking for work or jobs to do. I know many people that are like that, some big and some small. If i am supposed to do something then I will do it. If I have options then it will depend on my mood. I never set food goals or fitness goals. I signed up for a marathon this past October. You might think that is a goal but the way I think it was not. I ran because God was going to talk to me, not necessarily because I wanted to run 26.2 miles. If you are curious, HE did talk to me before and after the race.

Are there things you didn't do before that you're able to do now? It all goes back to running. When I started I could not run the straight way down a track. Before my running hiatus I would leave work after a 12 hour shift stop along the way, run 3 miles before continuing home. My favorite time to run was in 100 degree temps in August. There was a time my wife got on to me for running 3 miles when it was 115 outside. I just don’t feel heat the way others do. We have since came to an agreement.

What is something non-weight related you have done or learned that you may not have if you hadn't started improving your health? Sometimes i can push further. Slowing down does not mean failure. It means you are taking time to breathe or reassess the situation. I may have learned it but i do not always live by it.

What are your favorite health and fitness blogs, books, or magazines that you have read/do read? I do not read. The only thing I read is stuff at work which I have to do and the BIBLE because I want to have to read it. Anything fitness or health related that i have read is on some random website that involves the topic I was curious about. With that said, if it did not show proof of the topic early on I would leave and go somewhere else.

What is your favorite healthy food aside of coffee? Bacon and beef

How do you manage to alter your eating patterns and accommodate the rest of your family? We make separate meals. I meal prep so when i am hungry I grab my food and eat. When a dinner is happening then my wife makes sure I have meat to eat. An example is the other day we were in the “big city” about dinner time. We went to a Braum’s. My family had the combo meals and I had the bag of burgers minus the bun.Which i would do anyways because i cannot have gluten.

Is your family understanding about your health goals? Understanding my needs and understanding the needs are two different points. They help because of my need but they may not understand how it works for me. Then again when I fire up the grill everybody wants something then. LOL

How do you continue and not give up? This one is simple. I throw a fit. A big ole’ walleyed fit. I vent, rant, get angry, yell, kick, scream and sometimes cry. Then tomorrow i start all over.

I really admire your drive at not stopping no matter how low you've been. This caught me off guard. I do not do well with compliments. I am unsure, if I am to say thank you then Thank you.

What is your goal for this next year? I do not have a goal. If I had to nail one down it would still have the mantle of motivator in this group.

What is your best piece of advice for those just starting their journey? Only call it a journey if you want it to be or if you want to call it that. The problem I have with calling it a journey is that to go on a journey you have to set a course, pack a bag, get a lay of the land, plan for accidents……etc. I don’t even like calling it a lifestyle or a life change. All of us have seen that it is too easy to change back. The plain and simple truth is this you. It is your life whether you lose, gain or maintain whatever you set your eyes on. You are not identified by your scale. You are identified by your love or lack of love. Either way if you need help I will help if I can. With that said you should be willing to help the same way.

What would be your last meal on death row coffee order? Finally a coffee question. I would need two drinks. 1) a large Americano using Guatemalan Antigua beans.2) a con panna made the wrong way. Two or three shots of espresso and the same shots of coffee with steamed cream added to it. Take note this is the only drink I do not drink black.

Weigh in: Monday
PW 203.2
CW 206.2

Austin here, making plans for the day:
Food on plan and under my calorie goal
Veggie focus - hit my salad/raw veg goal
Movement: at least an hour of movement
Steps: at least 6K

Okay, day, here I come! But first (thinking of @19shmoo69 ), time for coffee!